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Old World Winery Zinfandel Russian River Valley Laughlin Vineyard 2003

Member Review by WineborkDotCom:

(Review of August 2007.) This is my favorite Laughlin Zin to date. To me it has a lot in common with a top-notch Cotes du Rhone, except one on steroids. Dark berries, new leather, roasted herbs, earth in the nose; in the mouth it came across as a blend of liqueurs - kirsch, plum, currants. Still a little raw and unruly (though made to order for a slab of beef), I'm looking forward to trying this one multiple times over the next 5 years or so.

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Winemaker/Proprietor Darek Trowbridge studied winemaking with his grandfather, Lino Martinelli, who's information was gleaned from his Italian ancestors through his immigrant father Giuseppe Martinelli. Together they worked the land they had settled in Forrestville, growing grapevines and making wine as one of their means of income. Lino embodied the Old World spirit of growing grapes and makin... Read more

Winemaker/Proprietor Darek Trowbridge studied winemaking with his grandfather, Lino Martinelli, who's information was gleaned from his Italian ancestors through his immigrant father Giuseppe Martinelli. Together they worked the land they had settled in Forrestville, growing grapevines and making wine as one of their means of income. Lino embodied the Old World spirit of growing grapes and making wine with the consideration that everything a vintner does in the vineyard and in the winery affects the flavor of the wine. Only indigenous yeast from the vineyard were employed for fermentation and nothing was ever added to the wine except sulfur.
This Old World knowledge is truly enhanced when put together with a contemporary education. Darek got his Bachelor's Degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in Viticulture (Grape Growing). During this phase of education Darek worked at Martinelli Vineyards and Winery for his uncle Lee Martinelli, a former teacher who taught Darek the in's and out's of production agriculture, machinery fabrication, and multiple ranch farming.
Darek went on to complete a Master's Degree from Fresno State in Enology (Winemaking). During this phase of education he worked for the Viticulture and Enology Research Center, a privately funded research facility focusing solely on improving the quality of grapes and wine. This provided a deep look into scientific methods, experimentation and his Thesis discovered how the use of different vine training methods affected the wine quality for Syrah grapevines.
After Graduation, Darek was engrossed for the next seven years as Vineyard Manager at Everett Ridge Vineyards and Winery growing CCOF certified Organic and Demeter certified Biodynamic winegrapes on their many ranches. During this tenure Darek created Old World Winery. As winemaker/proprietor of OldWorld Winery Darek could combine and employ all the methods he learned about fine wine production, both old and new, without upper management worrying about its unconventional nature.
Old World Winery was founded and continues to grow at the Laughlin Vineyard, where Darek's cousin, Lee Martinelli Jr., owns and manages the vineyard. Lee Jr. maintains the family tradition by taking special care of two blocks of organic Pinot Noir and Zinfandel for Old World Winery. Read less

Member Reviews for Old World Winery Zinfandel Russian River Valley Laughlin Vineyard

(Review of August 2007.) This is my favorite Laughlin Zin to date. To me it has a lot in common with a top-notch Cotes du Rhone, except one on steroids. Dark berries, new leather, roasted herbs, earth in the nose; in the mouth it came across as a blend of liqueurs - kirsch, plum, currants. Still a little raw and unruly (though made to order for a slab of beef), I'm looking forward to trying this one multiple times over the next 5 years or so.